


Eurisko

by chaosisalwayshere



Series: Eurisko: A Theme for Space Madness [1]
Category: Blink-182
Genre: Space Madness, eurisko
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-02-25
Packaged: 2018-03-15 05:16:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3434960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosisalwayshere/pseuds/chaosisalwayshere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since Tom was a kid, he had dreamed of going to space. His studies took a dramatic turn when he turned eighteen and was eligible to apply for work as part of a crew that visited the colonies and did repairs. He was content with his glorified maintenance man position. He was one step closer to his dream, he thought. One day, the colony is attacked and Tom is forced to evacuate onto a freight ship with only a handful of people. Everyone dies but him. He spends almost 3 years drifting in space, completely alone. He starts to suffer serious effects of a condition people only used to joke about and it only had one name; Space madness. Only, one day everything changed for him. His ship happened upon twin planets with conditions much like earth. It promised new adventure and alien life where he learns very disturbing news about the colony attack…</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eurisko

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is currently being completely revised and rewritten. A lot of magical things happened and I am down to either not writing it at all or starting completely over. I will have some teasers up soon hopefully. Thanks for the interest, stay tuned!

**Eurisko**

****

**A Theme for Space Madness**

 

　　　 _“One of the most universally asked question is “are we alone?” There are many who believe that life beyond our home exists. Some of these forms can be as simple as microbial cells, preserved in capsules of ice or dwelling in such austere conditions no human could penetrate. “_

　　 　　There was a garbled noise over the speaker as a woman’s voice struggled through the broken transmission. It played through the static, distorting her voice in a mess of variant pitches from high to low in an unnatural way. She sounded very matter of fact, as if narrating from a news article. 

　　 　　 _“While others possess a more advanced sentient existence, not only chemically and biologically divergent from our own make-up in every manner of speaking, but believed to far exceed our understanding of the universe. They are believed to be much more advanced in all fields of technology and science. These beings - these extraterrestrials - have been sought after for as long as man has been able to grasp the concept of space and time and the ideas of life beyond earth were conceived in the minds of those who weren’t content with the thought of being the only living beings in the universe.”_

　　 　　The voice froze only for a second before stuttering on, breaking as if the recording had been worn from extensive play. Tom’s head lulled back, mouthing along as it continued, pausing just when the recording faltered. He had memorized every word, every inflection, and every break after so long of it playing, right on the dot, same time every 12 hours. Though time did not play a factor in his life at the moment, having lost all sense of time way before it had all begun. Something in the controls that he had pressed had activated this recording after a few weeks of being on board, searching for some kind of sign that something in the ship worked. 

　　 　　 _“Skeptics are scorned by the thought, using jests to skirt around an idea that’s existed for centuries. The science and knowledge behind these beings are filtered through government conspiracies, eye witness accounts - or “close encounters,” and many levels of theories and hypotheses surrounding the idea. Many speculate that they’ve been visiting us for as long as man has been on Earth. Which there in lies another question surrounding even our own existence. The meteor that hit Earth and wiped dinosaurs off it’s face, is it possible it was carrying some form of micro organic life? Is it too far fetched to believe that while this is our home, were we carried here before the dawn of time by this asteroid? Could it had been predestined and we were planted here like cells on a platelet, and these extraterrestrials we seem to keep encountering our own observers, carefully moderating us like a control subject? Unfortunately, there are are a plethora of theories and little fact to back the majority of these claims.”_

　　 　　 _“The big question is not where we came from, but what else is out there? We’ve been trying for years to reach out, to extend ourselves as far as we can go without being pulled into the void. For the masses, there is far too much obscurity by the concealment of information on what intelligence already exists about aliens and other life forms of the like. There is the general knowledge and then there’s the secrets kept safely tucked between the lips of certain individuals who have the privilege of working in government factions whose sole purpose is to seek and study the unknown. There is a particular paranormal bouquet that comes with seeking the truth and uncovering these facets of life that are so desperately trying to be hidden from the general public. Some people can smell it a mile away, drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Now the next question that could be asked is, are they among us? Could these beings very well be walking along side us and living out ordinary lives? Some believe numerous species of aliens live with us, gathering intimate knowledge of mankind. They aren’t here to harm us or intervene in our affairs, but only as a mutual observer.”_

　　 　 _“What it boils down to ultimately is how we are all connected to each other and how we may co-exist. While we may differ in genetic make-up and our place of origin, we are, on an atomic level, very much alike.”_

　　 　　He had wondered what exactly had started all this research and where was he when the whole project first began. He had been on the colony long enough to be informed of their studies but this particular one he kept hearing about was new to him. It was inviting but frightening at the same time. He felt as if it was some kind of cruel joke, a fate he was predestined to live out.

　　 　　 _“Welcome to project Eurisko! The ship, likely named, was intended for exploration, shipping and most of all discovery. We can all thank Dr. Dwight Howman, a well knowledgeable man and a philosopher of his time. Dating back 200 years ago, when controversy of aliens among us first arose, he was known as a revolutionist paving the way to new studies and discovery. His disappearance after a particular extraterrestrial movement sparked not only suspicion but curiosity among many who were intrigued by all that is among the spectacle of life outside our little world. Many believe madness drove him in seclusion where he died alone taking with him all his secrets. Others believe he was spirited away by hosts from another planet, to live out his life in a whole other galaxy.”_

　　 　　He had been particularly fond of this part, constantly tearing her words apart to search for something between the context. It wasn’t just how the words were delivered but what was being spoken indirectly. If what he felt was being implied it had meant hundreds of years ago there was a man who existed who believed not only that aliens were with us but had solid proof. He couldn’t explain his disappearance but from the moment he first heard of Dwight he was completely taken by his story. He had searched for endless hours through the data base searching for any kind of information on him but there was only one file that contained his name and a document that only seemed half written. He twisted himself around in the chair and fingered the console sitting in front of him, the particular file expanding and filling the screen. He hunched over and brought up his knees wrapping his arms around them then scanned over the words carefully.

　　 　　 _“...But, alas, this is not what this particular story is about. We won’t be divulging in theories or conspiracies. This is a place where humans live hundreds of years ahead of our current time. In a world more advanced than we could ever possibly fathom today. Where in our current time, aliens among us was a known fact. However, that is where the problem first arose. When the world learned of these beings among us, it was confronted with terror and hostility. Many were compassionate and tolerant while others were fearful of their intentions and mere existence. They were greeted with force, pushed back and forcibly removed from their new founded home.”_

　　 　　 _“Eventually, they vanished from the face of our planet leaving mankind in a flurry of confusion and high anxiety. So much so amidst the allegations against these creatures and the convictions of man, it had been swept under the rug and force fed to the public as just another government controlled stunt. Officials that manipulated the system were ultimately leading people into silent and submissive ignorance. But not everyone could be blindfolded so easily. It took humans hundreds of years to finally possess the technology that would take them into space and create colonies outside of their home. The race grew as a whole, both learning and experiencing the universe in ways they couldn’t imagine. The few that remembered were constantly on the look out and those who refused to see what was right in front of them spent their lives hiding. The constant push and pull of mankind versus seeking what is out there is the never ending journey we’re inevitably on.”_

　　 　　He couldn’t get his head wrapped around how this man, dating back 200 years could have possibly written this. There was no way he could have imagined what life was like now or how things would have turned out. Yet, somehow, he had recounted things in his time that were only now happening. He had read it countless times, to a point where he didn’t even need to check the file anymore. He continued reading, chewing on his lip out of nervous habit and covering his mouth with his hand as if the story had somehow intensified.

　　 　 _“The secret to discovery is overcoming the fear of what lies beyond what we can visibly see and comprehend. The wonders of the galaxy, whether large or small, complex or simple, frightening or inviting, they lay out there in waiting. The race can not hide forever. It is a natural drive to keep moving forward. So begins our story of a man who had discovered not only the horrors of an ancient tale, but answers to age old questions man could never properly answer without tangible proof. He’s taken far from his home and thrown into a spiral of madness, both glorious and detrimental to his growth. His discoveries, through his own heuristic methods, would change the fate of not only his home planet but every life form he encountered. As a young man, wide eyed and open to the world of adventure, his trek across the cosmos will tell a tale of morals, understanding, growth, and discovery. Most importantly, a relationship forged through passiveness with beings outside of mankind, an understanding no man before him could be bothered to afford.”_

　　 　 _“It will also tell the story of a race gone mad, how their intolerant and hateful methods of living are exploited by beings outside of their own. How an entire race can falter and collapse beneath the weight of it’s own antipathy, and how one man can surrender and succumb to his immoralities and in turn learn the one thing we all seek, the truth. This is a theme for space madness.”_

　　 　　He hated this part the most. Most of all because it sounded as if this man was taking a chapter straight out of Tom’s life. As if this whole entire venture was premeditated. Though the document was filed under fiction it was labeled “Dr. Dwight Howman: A Journal of Mankind in Space.” It was an inconspicuous piece of work that was only half written and held no context as to exactly what was being addressed. He didn’t understand what story there was to be told. Man drifting in space losing himself, a story of Tom. He shuddered at the thought and immediately closed the file, feeling a very familiar chill run up his spine. He wished more than anything to learn more about this man but all he had was this creepy rendition of his life told hundreds of years ago. The recording had silenced itself long before he had realized the ship had returned to it's previous stagnant state.

****

****

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

　　It wasn’t just a dead silence. In fact, there wasn’t anything particularly quiet about this piercing auditory torture that lulled the emptiness in the room in silent submission. He had longed for the roaring sound of the engine but even with its minimal hum beneath the hull a few decks down, it was going to be the last place he found solace. Tom had been sitting in front of the navigation board for almost fourteen hours now. His eyes were burned into the small flashing light panel. He had memorized every blinking pattern and every stream of light that shot across the interface. Each pulse of light indicated a search. Every return stream of unbroken light meant nothing. Yet the search continued, and had been ongoing for the past three years. Every single light returned in the same usual curved angle it had been sent out in. It was all he knew at the moment; the little blinking nodes.

　　When his journey first began, he had awoken after a terrible ruckus sounded off. He had feared a breach in the ship’s hull, but it had turned out to be the warp engines powering over. He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious. He had nothing on him except his Earth Colony, or EC, space gear on. It was a much older model compared to the ones assigned to the veterans of the colony, highly resembling that of an old fashioned astronaut. He always had a quirky sense about things and wore the suit with pride. He enjoyed the style, even if he were often referred to as a “walking museum” or “outdated”. After doing an initial inspection of the helm and engineering station he was able to diagnose why the sound of the engines had sounded so horrendous. They had been powered on full drive, far exceeding factory limitations, for however long Tom had been out. They were utterly useless now. The most power he could hope to muster were the forward and back thrusts. The ship was still only moving from the momentum, but he knew that too would eventually degrade.

　　His mind went back to the colony just before he retreated to the ship. He was located in the mid-section and was prepping the area for repairs when the attack had started. The viewer became dark suddenly and whirl of alarms and buzzers screamed throughout the corridor. He hardly had any time to jump to his feet when the floor trembled and knocked him down again. There was a shift in the air and everything felt as if it were beginning to tilt, and in essence it was. He scrambled to a wall and grabbed the first thing he could as leverage. At this point his heart was racing, threatening to jump right out of his throat. Everything about the situation was a complete sensory overload. But if there was anything he had learned in his training, it was to always try and keep a level head. Fear kept you alive, but panic was the quickest way to one’s grave. He tried to take as many focused breaths as he could, darting his eyes about to find some kind of clue of what to do next.

　　That’s when a door flying open caught his attention. A group of men in what appeared to be police uniform spilled into the hallway, frantic and out of breath. One had spotted Tom as they slid back and forth past him but didn’t say anything. His eyes were wide with fear and Tom could see him visibly trembling. The others were too far gone to notice anyone else was even there. It was like a veil of fear had completely covered their faces and the only thing they could think to do was panic. But it didn’t take Tom long to realize they weren’t just passing through, they were running away. But from what, he couldn’t figure out. He tried again to get to his feet. His knees felt rubbery for a moment after getting a glimpse of that man’s face. He feared the worst for them, especially if there was going to be some huge malfunction up here in space. It was always his worst fear to die in the confides of empty space. It wasn’t helping him to think about this. He shook his head out of his thoughts and continued his efforts to his feet, focusing more on just standing than trying to actually go anywhere.

　　The door swung open again, crashing into the wall. Something forced it open, the hinges smoked and the handle appeared crushed. Smoke billowed from the entrance as tall, thin figures appeared. Tom’s eyes widened in shock, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing or if he was seeing anything at all. It could have been that he had already gone into shock and was delusional from the fear. But then again, it could always be real. Something whipped through the air at him and knocked his hand from the wall causing him to fall again. All he saw next was a purple and gray blur of movement then a sudden pull on his body. The noise was deafening as the glass viewer imploded and sent shards of glass flying, first inward, then shooting back into the vacuum of space.

　　He only had time to turn his body and watch as the colony retreated from him, or him from it, it would seem. He hadn’t even had the chance to realize he had been sucked out into empty space and was now floating further and further away from everything. The noise from the explosion petered down to a distance rumble and from his position he was able to witness the full destruction of the colony. There was almost nothing left. He could see debris and bodies floating out among each other like a ballet of the dead. It was the most unsettling image he had ever had the misfortune to observe. His mind could only go back to those frightened men rushing by him in such a frenzy. They too were gone now. Everyone was gone. He couldn’t even process the immense amount of loss in so little time. It didn’t occur to him to even think about who or what was causing this. But then the image of the blurred figures came fresh to his mind. Who were they?

　　If space was to be his final resting ground, he knew all too well of how slow his death would be. The suit recirculated oxygen, recycling it and reprocessing the co2 back into o2. But he had no means to eat or stay hydrated. It was going to be agonizingly slow and he couldn’t imagine the pain he’d be in. These thoughts were already running rampant through his mind. He was ready to shut down and submit. That was until he felt himself thud against something behind him. He started to slide up at a slope when he turned about. It was the light in the darkest of tunnels he had been looking for. One of the last remaining ships left intact drifted not too far from the galactic war scene. He was very fortunate he was near the docking entrance. He slid underneath the belly of the enormous and elongated ship, feeling around for the hatch near the landing gears.

　　There was a faint hissing noise as he popped the lever and twirled it back, pulling on it to release the door. He quickly made his way inside and shut the hatch securely. He only had to make it past the depressurized compartment and get as fast as he could to the bridge. He needed to signal someone and let them know if they hadn’t already been notified. Most of all, he wanted them to know someone survived. He loved space and its all wonders but what he had just seen would forever be etched into his mind. For now, all he wanted was to go home. To feel the earth and its safety beneath his feet. He’d return to space one day eventually and fulfill his dreams of finding life on other planets and exploring the galaxies. He wanted to believe this ship was a godsend. He had a second chance at life and he wasn’t going to waste it being foolish.

　　He touched a button on the left arm of his suit. It sent a signal to his boots, triggering a whirring noise from inside his suit. Slowly his body hovered towards the plates lining the walkway and rested flat along the smooth, mirror like surface. It was a method of simulated gravity that was found most effective and in the long term, greatly decreased muscle degeneration in a zero gravity environment. It not only simulated but almost completely replicated the effects of the pull to the body. The compartment was ten paces ahead of him. His steps were long and rapid, moving as fast as he humanly could in these conditions. He slammed his hand on the module next to the door and layers of metal began to slide away, revealing a translucent room not much taller or wider than he was. As soon as he stepped inside, the doors behind him slid closed with somewhat of a grating noise as the metal rubbed against one another.

　　His eyes scanned the walls peering out into space. He couldn’t imagine how he was going to get out of this situation and make it back home. But the thought of giving up or surrendering was out of the question. He had made it this far, there was no way he could allow any kind of weakness to take him over. There was a whip of air movement and a hissing noise that filled the room. A voice from the ceiling sounded off, an automated message that the room had completed its depressurization. There was another whirl of air and a sharp intake as the doors before him slid open, revealing a long hallway. Lights flickered above and gave him the indication something wasn’t entirely right. But he drudged on, pushing himself forward and walking as fast as he could until he came across a lift. He fingered the console, going over the buttons before settling on what appeared to be a call button. In his hastened state of mind he wasn’t able to think clearly and what normally came so naturally to him he now had to stop and actually think about.

　　He needed to calm himself, this much he knew. But with everything that had just happened, it almost seemed near impossible. The door to the elevator stuttered open. Something was definitely off. He climbed inside and pressed his back against the wall as soon as he found it, staring forward as he heard the mechanisms began to turn and twist. There was a jolt of movement that caused him to stumble slightly, but he was able to catch himself on the wall. How was he going to ever hope to relax if he couldn’t catch a moment’s break? He cursed under his breath, a strained and subtle whisper. After a short ride, the doors jerked open and what he saw made him wish he had never gotten on this ship. Ahead were several men strewn across the floor and what appeared to be a pool of blood beneath their bodies. Still, no time to turn back now.

　　He stepped out slowly, gulping audibly and trying to avoid any contact with the horrific scene laid out before him. They appeared to have suffered major internal wounds, and cause of death was more apparent to him with huge gaping holes in their guts and other parts of their body. He counted four men, and in most cases the ship was generally manned by a crew of eight. That meant there was still four people unaccounted for. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to find them at this point, but it could have been his only way out of this. He needed to know someone besides him was able to survive this. He didn’t want to believe they had all really perished. The thought alone made him stop and shiver violently. There was a noise across the room that made him jump and almost lose his balance. The ship had rocked and the noise was several alarms from the stations lining the walls of the control room. He hadn’t even made it to the bridge yet, he knew that’s where he needed to be.

　　He ignored the excessive beeping and chirping sounding off in the room and headed further into the chamber until he came across another lift. He had toured ships like this before, only able to board the ship with the supervision of a licensed superior. It was so much different now that he was treading in unfamiliar territory and completely on his own. It was nerve wracking to say the least. He shoved his finger, pushing as hard as he could on the call button, somehow secretly wishing the added effort would make it come faster. There was another ruckus behind him, somewhat of an unsettling clutter of objects being disrupted and thrown about. He turned quickly just as the doors opened and was able to catch a glimpse of what he thought he had seen before he was blown into space. He pushed himself back on his feet almost toppling over when a movement of blue started to move towards him.

　　The doors shut as he stumbled inside. What he had witnessed before the door closed was impossible he thought. The man or creature was tall, much taller than he was and there was something swaying behind him, what appeared to be either ribbon or perhaps a tail of some sort. His coloring was dark, veins of red and blue spread throughout his body like tendrils. His hair was long and blood red. He almost couldn’t tell if it was red naturally or if he had somehow doused himself with blood. At this point, he believed anything was possible. It was the morbid thought that drove him into a frantic mess of nerves and anxiety. He knew he wasn’t keeping a clear head about any of it and was pounding on buttons and breathing too heavily to stop and walk himself through the situation calmly.

　　The lift came to an abrupt stop and for a moment he wasn’t sure if it broke or if it was being called back so whoever or whatever it was could finish him. But the doors finally opened and revealed the bridge. He only managed to get a foot out when the ship rocked violently and he was thrown back into the elevator. There were muffled moans coming from the other side of the wall and a hand appeared at the door frame, clutching it tightly. A man’s face appeared and he barely regarded Tom, looking past him like he didn’t exist in that very space.

　　“Isn’t there anyone left? What the hell is going on?!” he hollered at the terminal, smashing his palm on it. He seemed more out of it than Tom. His eyes bugged out of his head and seemed completely possessed by fear.

　　“Hey... Hey!” Tom tried to call out but when he got to his feet and tried to reach out to the man he was knocked back again. The man turned about and stared at Tom in shock like he had only just noticed there was someone else there with him. 

　　“We have to get off this ship.” It seemed it was all he could manage to get out. He slammed his fist on the close button and stood in the entrance way, blocking Tom’s path to the bridge. 

　　“No, wait, we can’t go,” Tom started, finally able to rise to his feet and stand on them without flailing backwards. He swayed only slightly, catching himself with his arm on the wall. 

　　“There’s something down there. We should call for help.” The man had ignored Tom’s pleas, shaking his head slowly as if he knew something Tom didn’t, some kind of horror he had lived through gleaming in his dim eyes. 

　　“There’s no one. No one left. We have to get off this thing, there’s an escape pod below engineering. Just, stay close.” His voice fell a bit as he finished speaking, as if the hope of survival was draining out of him.

　　Tom couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It was like he had lost all will to even try and was so desperate to cling to something he didn’t even believe in he was throwing himself into death’s vice. But there wasn’t much he could do about it. The doors opened again and he felt himself being dragged out by the force of the ship craning to one side. He huffed painfully as the air escaped his lungs and felt his body slam into a column in the center of the room. His head was spinning, a sickening feeling tingling in his head and dropping down into his gut. The man had slid across the room, cracking his head on something and falling over with a dangerous thud. Tom’s heart was pounding in his chest, he could hear every pulse ringing in his ears.

　　This was the same room he had seen that thing and the same room he had found those bodies. The image of the bloody massacre still fresh in his mind. He couldn’t find the strength to get to his feet let alone try and move. There was so much noise and commotion going on he felt himself being dragged into a darkening void of consciousness. All the sounds were beginning to fade quietly. He didn’t want to die here, but fate obviously had other plans for him. All he could do was think back on home. There was a soft feeling against his face as he imagined a light breeze. A warmth on his skin as the sun came into view, and a subtle feeling of content the more silent the world around him became. For that moment he felt he was able to finally breath, to let go, and not feel a thing. He could just allow himself to become utterly numb and release himself from this horror movie.

\--  
　 _“I thought I was finally going home. I thought he was calling me back and I was feeling the warm embrace of his arms around me. I was alone but not completely. I felt something before I fell asleep. Like a hand holding mine, lulling me. I remember asking myself if there was a god, telling him we could use one right now. But what I felt was different. Like I was to serve some bigger purpose. Who was I to question?_

　 _I was prepared for the worst, but I wasn’t prepared for this. I can no longer tell what day it is, what month it is, if it’s night or day, or how long I even slept. I can’t even bring myself to keep up anymore. I don’t want to. It doesn’t matter to me. Time is fleeting, as is everything else. And if I’m destined to float out here locked in my own turmoil, then so be it. I have surrendered to his will.”_

Journal Entry #0232  
\--

　　It had been days, maybe weeks, it was hard to tell anymore when he finally awoke. The ship was completely empty or at least, utterly void of noise or life. There was no real indication that anything had even happened. He had awoken in the same position he had fell in. Every inch of his body ached and cracked as he tried to get to his feet. He touched a hand to a console. With no obvious signs of it being functional it was more than apparent things had been shut off for a while to how cold everything felt. There was always a subtle heat, something that concluded life. But it was cold and the screen remained black and motionless. The sounds of the alarms crying out rang in his ears but the room was void of any noise. It was beginning to grow incredibly eerie for him.

　　He had inspected his body, luckily he had no serious injury, only a few bruises and a splitting headache. Only after he reached the bridge, he concluded there was nothing on up there either. All that seemed to function were the overhead lights that flickered ever so often. He was long overdue for something to eat and drink and found a supply room not too far from the bridge. The ship was mostly a carrier, stocked to the brim for months even up to years of travel without making stops. He had to be the most fortunate person in existence. But that feeling was short lived, quickly dying as soon as he remembered the dire straights he was in. An entire colony of people were dead, and as far as he knew, so was anyone who was aboard this ship.

　　He’d have to make rounds at some point, make sure that he really was all alone on this ship. He grabbed the nearest flashlight out of a small cubby hole and made his way back down the corridor and control room. It was hard returning back to that spot, the traumatic scene only playing in his head over and over. He had decided after this he’d never come back down here. There were too many voices in the darkness, too much pain radiating from the stagnant air. And it was just as he confirmed, the ship only seemed to have one inhabitant, himself. What perplexed him was the lack of blood and bodies he had witnessed just before he blacked out. Perhaps it was because he was too fearful to actually investigate that end of the room or that maybe they had been cleaned up at some point. That didn’t make much sense to him, but again, anything was possible.

　　He made his way back to the bridge, setting the torch down back in its spot and making his way to the helm. He leaned across, ghosting his finger over the touch screen. He was surprised to say the least when a dim light sprung to life and beeped at him. This caused a rush of blood to his head and a wave of excitement throughout his body. His fingers trembled on the sreen, waiting for it to respond and tell him more. There was a green flash of a grid that dimmed subtly causing him to squint at it. A clanking noise from within the machine startled him and the screen flashed on and off. He scowled, slamming his hand on the side of it.

　　“What, did they pull you straight out of the prehistoric age? Fucking work,” he growled, watching it with a careful yet impatient gaze. Great, so now he was pounding on things and cursing at them to work. It seemed to have an effect, though, or maybe he just got lucky. The screen lit up brightly, small cracks appearing as the light illuminated the space around the console. He sighed with a sense of relief, bowing his head a moment to collect his thoughts. His eyes finally made their way to the viewer ahead of him, the empty void of space surrounding the ship. The reality hadn’t hit him so hard until he realized the situation he was in. The systems were down, all of them it seemed except this one screen that pulsed and bleeped at him at intervals with no real signs for anything around.

　　He stepped backwards until his heels hit the front of the captain’s seat. He had almost made himself trip and instead used the momentum to plop down, slumping immediately. He wasn’t trained for this. How was he supposed to manage an entire freight ship with no functioning systems and minimal training of how to work a ship in the first place? His supplies would last him, he knew that, but there was a deep feeling of dread looming inside of him. He had no idea how long he’d been out here or how far he had traveled. The only thing left for him to do was to simply survive and see where his ship finally drifted off to.

\--  
　　 _“I feel older, I look older. But how much older am I? It feels like it’s been ten years since I last saw any kind of humanity. And even longer that I’ve felt it. I’m beginning to question my existence. Not in a sense of a reality that I simply am, but in a way that makes me distrust everything that I am. Sure I’m real. I feel pain and happiness. But what makes it real? What makes me feel these things? I think my head is full of a sickness, something I can’t describe._  
  
　　 _I saw their ghosts again. Why do you keep hiding from me? I can hear them, and I catch faint glimpses of them but they continue to run away. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”_

Journal entry #2392

__


End file.
